The Brexiteer’s guide to history
In his new account of why Britain left the EU, Robert Tombs abandons objectivity for polemic.
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Britain unlocks
George Saunders and the art of keeping the reader reading
In his fascinating new book on Russian short stories, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, Saunders considers…
By
Patricia Lockwood’s No One is Talking About This is the first great internet novel
The oddball American writer’s debut novel is a witty and true depiction of the experience of living online.
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The limits of “consent culture”
Katherine Angel’s Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again argues popular feminism’s focus on consent is dangerously inadequate.
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NS Recommends: New books from Florence de Changy, Allie Morgan, Ethan Hawke and Alice Zeniter
The Disappearing Act by de Changy, The Librarian by Morgan, A Bright Ray of Darkness by Hawke and The Art of Losing by Zeniter. …
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The NS Poem: Science Fiction
A new poem by George Szirtes.
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Why Taiwan matters
With only nine deaths from Covid-19, the island’s handling of the pandemic is a testament to the success of…
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The lights that failed
Why the cause of liberal democracy collapsed in the Middle East.
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How the dream of the Arab Spring died
A decade after revolutions spread across North Africa and the Middle East, the hopes of a generation have been crushed.…
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Boris Johnson’s great gamble
The Prime Minister’s plans for easing restrictions are cautious and sensible – but his erratic nature could yet lead…
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The meticulous paintings of Winifred Knights
The artist’s output was vanishingly small, but extremely carefully composed.
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A new BBC Radio 4 series seeks to take “a fresh look” at Thomas Hardy’s novels through the eyes of his women
In this three-part adaptation of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Tess relates her own story in a series of first-person…
By
BBC One’s Bloodlands is Line of Duty with added politics
This new series produced by Jed Mercurio is exciting, and its plot is intricately tangled.
By
The United States vs Billie Holiday dramatises the racially motivated campaign waged against the singer
In this new biopic, the director Lee Daniels has followed the example of Lady Sings the Blues by casting…
By
How Chick Corea shaped a jazz generation
The pianist, who died in February, was one of the founding fathers of jazz fusion – a deeply misunderstood…
By
Isabel Allende Q&A: “Don’t whine, don’t complain, because no one cares“
The author discusses her relative, Salvador Allende the former president of Chile, Artemisia Gentileschi painting her portrait and her love…
By
The working-class boy, the Balliol bar and an encounter with the young Boris Johnson
A nasty story from the Prime Minister’s university days has reminded me that it is a fallacy to expect…
ByEmail [email protected] if you would like to be the New Statesman’s Subscriber of the Week.
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It’s long past midnight, and I’m watching a video tour of a total stranger’s pantry
As I gaze at jar after jar of pickled vegetables, I become entranced by the romanticised life of American homesteaders.
By
“Not tonight dear, I’ve got a headache” isn’t always an excuse. Sometimes it’s a real condition
Headaches provoked by sex affect about 1 per cent of people at some time. But, fortunately, the problem disappears as mysteriously as…
By
This England: Flight of fancy
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s Richard II, refers to the whole of Britain…
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Why a fine “tilth” – though it may be hard to define – is essential for successful seed sowing
Gardening instructions can often get lost in translation – and none is harder to interpret than “create a good tilth”.
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Moeen Ali’s journey to the margins shows English cricket still struggles with difference
A subtle sense of “otherness” has always followed the international career of a multi-talented cricketer who remains strangely under-appreciated.
By
The Slate Star Codex saga proves a new blasphemy code is emerging among liberals
What a New York Times report on a popular blog reveals about progressives’ difficult relationship with free speech.
By
The pandemic has revealed both the enduring wisdom and utopian delusions of Thomas Hobbes
The perpetual cycle of lockdowns has shown the reality of the Hobbesian state, where authority is backed by coercion, and…
By
Kirsty Wark’s Diary: A vaccine boost, Zoom cocktails, and why Scotland’s fate rests on the Salmond inquiry
With the two titans of Scottish nationalism locked in a struggle, the political story playing out is turning into a…
By
Boris Johnson’s “have cake, eat cake” strategy is yielding results, leaving Labour to pick up crumbs
Labour is learning that it is wrong to write off this oddly formidable Prime Minister.
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Commons Confidential: Carrie On Downing Street
Your weekly dose of gossip from around Westminster.
By
First Thoughts: Australia’s Facebook status, No 10’s First Lady, and Tory killer motorways
It’s obvious that Rupert Murdoch is lurking in the shadows as the Australian prime minister Scott Morrison confronts Big Tech.
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Why it’s not too late for the UK to pursue a zero-Covid strategy
To take full advantage of vaccination, Britain should adopt the elimination strategy successfully followed by New Zealand.
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Marc Brackett: “Emotions are the most powerful force in the workplace”
The founder of Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence explains why the feelings of employees “should haunt the sleep of every boss…
By
Letter of the week: Flawed US foreign policy
A selection of the best letters received from our readers this week. Email [email protected] to have your thoughts voiced…
By
Leader: Britain unlocks
The plan for ending lockdown shows the UK government is learning from its mistakes, but threats and weaknesses in the fight…
By The NS Poem: Science Fiction
A new poem by George Szirtes.
By The limits of “consent culture”
Katherine Angel’s Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again argues popular feminism’s focus on consent is dangerously inadequate.
By NS Recommends: New books from Florence de Changy, Allie Morgan, Ethan Hawke and Alice Zeniter
The Disappearing Act by de Changy, The Librarian by Morgan, A Bright Ray of Darkness by Hawke and The Art of Losing by Zeniter. …
By How Chick Corea shaped a jazz generation
The pianist, who died in February, was one of the founding fathers of jazz fusion – a deeply misunderstood…
By The United States vs Billie Holiday dramatises the racially motivated campaign waged against the singer
In this new biopic, the director Lee Daniels has followed the example of Lady Sings the Blues by casting…
By BBC One’s Bloodlands is Line of Duty with added politics
This new series produced by Jed Mercurio is exciting, and its plot is intricately tangled.
By A new BBC Radio 4 series seeks to take “a fresh look” at Thomas Hardy’s novels through the eyes of his women
In this three-part adaptation of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Tess relates her own story in a series of first-person…
By Why a fine “tilth” – though it may be hard to define – is essential for successful seed sowing
Gardening instructions can often get lost in translation – and none is harder to interpret than “create a good tilth”.
By The working-class boy, the Balliol bar and an encounter with the young Boris Johnson
A nasty story from the Prime Minister’s university days has reminded me that it is a fallacy to expect…
By It’s long past midnight, and I’m watching a video tour of a total stranger’s pantry
As I gaze at jar after jar of pickled vegetables, I become entranced by the romanticised life of American homesteaders.
By This England: Flight of fancy
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s Richard II, refers to the whole of Britain…
By “Not tonight dear, I’ve got a headache” isn’t always an excuse. Sometimes it’s a real condition
Headaches provoked by sex affect about 1 per cent of people at some time. But, fortunately, the problem disappears as mysteriously as…
By First Thoughts: Australia’s Facebook status, No 10’s First Lady, and Tory killer motorways
It’s obvious that Rupert Murdoch is lurking in the shadows as the Australian prime minister Scott Morrison confronts Big Tech.
ByEmail [email protected] if you would like to be the New Statesman’s Subscriber of the Week.
By Commons Confidential: Carrie On Downing Street
Your weekly dose of gossip from around Westminster.
By Isabel Allende Q&A: “Don’t whine, don’t complain, because no one cares“
The author discusses her relative, Salvador Allende the former president of Chile, Artemisia Gentileschi painting her portrait and her love…
By Moeen Ali’s journey to the margins shows English cricket still struggles with difference
A subtle sense of “otherness” has always followed the international career of a multi-talented cricketer who remains strangely under-appreciated.
By The pandemic has revealed both the enduring wisdom and utopian delusions of Thomas Hobbes
The perpetual cycle of lockdowns has shown the reality of the Hobbesian state, where authority is backed by coercion, and…
By The Slate Star Codex saga proves a new blasphemy code is emerging among liberals
What a New York Times report on a popular blog reveals about progressives’ difficult relationship with free speech.
By Kirsty Wark’s Diary: A vaccine boost, Zoom cocktails, and why Scotland’s fate rests on the Salmond inquiry
With the two titans of Scottish nationalism locked in a struggle, the political story playing out is turning into a…
By Boris Johnson’s “have cake, eat cake” strategy is yielding results, leaving Labour to pick up crumbs
Labour is learning that it is wrong to write off this oddly formidable Prime Minister.
By Letter of the week: Flawed US foreign policy
A selection of the best letters received from our readers this week. Email [email protected] to have your thoughts voiced…
By Leader: Britain unlocks
The plan for ending lockdown shows the UK government is learning from its mistakes, but threats and weaknesses in the fight…
By Why it’s not too late for the UK to pursue a zero-Covid strategy
To take full advantage of vaccination, Britain should adopt the elimination strategy successfully followed by New Zealand.
By Marc Brackett: “Emotions are the most powerful force in the workplace”
The founder of Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence explains why the feelings of employees “should haunt the sleep of every boss…
By